Arguably the greatest American crime film ever made. Gene Hackman stars as Detective Popeye Doyle, who’s muscling minor hoods in NYC (the "You ever pick your feet in Poughkeepsie?" scene is still a classic) when he catches the trail of a huge shipment of French heroin. With partner Roy Scheider, Hackman dogs drug-kingpin Fernando Rey through the concrete jungle - highlighted by a brain-jangling car chase that still hasn’t been topped.

Roy Scheider is a sheriff confronting crowds of sunbathers, self-serving local politicians and - most important - a monstrous great white shark over the Fourth of July weekend. With Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss.